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So introducing Billy (a guy we all met in Vietnam) and Bertha (our hippy camper) and I will try and re-live our journey along the Great Ocean Road, up through the Grampians and then skirting the coastline between Melbourne and Sydney. All in 2 weeks!!
DAY1 - Melbourne to Anglesea (160km)
Picked up our Hippy camper (check out the flowers) from what we are convinced was a stoned dutchman who almost had us driving off still attached to the electric hookup!! A day of driving then really, with Billy using an Atlas to counter the somewhat oddly positioned accelerator. A quick stop in Geelong for a bit of posh nosh really and a quick wander, one in Bells Beach just because we felt we should and then our first evening in Bertha. At this point we realise we have no curtains or fly nets, so it's a toss up between baking or being bitten... Interesting times ahead!
DAY2 - Anglesea to Lorne (54km)
A very pleasant and productive day, stopping off at many beautiful beaches along the way, each one seeming more spectacular than the last! A stop at Aireys inlet brings with it an unexpected bonus in a visit to a lighthouse which it turns out was used to film Round The Twist. At this point I will break into song to help jog your memories "have you ever, ever felt like this, when strange things happen are you going round the twist??" The tour guide was hilarious and slightly laboured every tiny detail about the lighthouse when all Billy and I wanted to do was get to the blinking top, eventually we made it and the view was worth it! A night in a famous campsite nestled in the rocks and bush, which was stunning and we kept warm with our fire we made from collected firewood.
DAY3 - Lorne to Blanket Beach (181km)
Showers are limited to 6 mins at this campsite, which is more of a problem for Billy than Me!! Once he had got over this though we head off to the Otway fly and elevated walk through the trees, very similiar to the one I did in Western Oz. A few wanders along beaches and a stop in Apollo Bay, we decide to try and give the free campsites a go tonight and head off down a deserted trach in search of a home for the night. Our bumpy journey is rewarded with a wild koala just sat in a tree (very cute, but very smelly) and a fab little campsite right on the beach (the one downside being no showers!).
DAY4 - Blanket Beach to Warrnambool (193km)
An early morning outside Bertha with a cup of tea and I learn an interesting fact.... The Great Ocean Rd is actually the worlds largest war memorial. Howard Hitchcock Geelong Mayor saw the opportunity to build the rd linking the major towns of the south coast and at the same time providing work for the 3,000 of so returned servicemen, Howard sadly died before it's completion in 1932. Anyway so we are back on the road, stopping at the many beaches, coves, walks, rock formations, blow holes and thundercaves. The scenery on this part by far the most stunning and an experience I will never forget. You can understand how this part of coastline earned the name "Shipwreck coast" as the stacks of rocks literally morsecode along the shoreline. There are a million and 1 photo's so I will let these do the rest of the talking!! As it's our last chance we make sure we get a campsite on the beach, enjoy fish and chips and a dip in the sea as tomorrow we will be Grampians bound.
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